


Are We Still Friends?

by heroespressplay



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Fluff and Angst, Slow Burn, Spoilers, a little piers/raihan, not much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:33:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22566340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heroespressplay/pseuds/heroespressplay
Summary: After winning the title of champion, Gloria struggles to hold on to her friendship with Hop. As his dream of being champion dwindles, they embark on one last journey to find the stolen rusted sword and attempt to pick up the pieces of their relationship to remake it. A retelling of the epilogue quest with far more detail and scenes to make it cohesive.Exert:“Hop… listen, I’m sor--” Gloria began, stopping when Hop waved his hand dismissively at her.“Hey, mate, no. Stop. I don’t want to do that. You know I don’t want to do that.” Hop said quietly. “I just didn’t expect there to be such a big gap between you and me…” He said, watched her intently, his mouth not quite a smile.
Relationships: Hop/Yuuri | Gloria
Comments: 5
Kudos: 78





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little side project for fun. Characters are absolutely aged up, 18.

“Glo, do you think…” Hop trailed off for a moment before collecting himself. “Would you be up for one more battle?” He asked, gazing too intently at the arch of the Slumbering Weald.

Gloria shifted from foot-to-foot, feeling disquieted by his insistence of avoiding looking at her. Ever since she had defeated him in the semi-finals and wrested the title of Galar’s champion from Leon, things had been strange between them. There wasn’t a time that Gloria could remember where Hop hadn’t been her best friend and closest confident; yet since then, there was a disconnect between them that made Gloria feel like she never knew what Hop was thinking anymore. It felt like this after the semi-finals, until the calamity of Eternatus pulled them back together again. Everything had felt right again, they were a team that was perfectly synchronized in everything they did and felt. Hob’s grin flashing at her through the dark when Zacian and Zamazenta came to their aid shot giddy adrenaline through her and all she could think of was how they could accomplish anything together. Like a mirage, that evaporated after Leon’s defeat, cleanly bearing the true cracks in their friendship that the strain of the Gym Challenge had caused. 

It was moments like these that were becoming increasingly frequent, where Glo thought everything was fine only for Hop to feel so distant that he might as well be an acquaintance.  
Gloria bit back the urge to ask him why, anxious that another loss on his end might finish their connection off for good. The least she could discern from his tone was that this battle was important to him, even if she didn’t understand. She scrutinized his back as if it could give her answers, noting the small details of his jacket, transcribing it into her brain. Blue jean stitching, soft Wooloo fleece trimming, sleeves pushed up to the elbow…

“Sure.” She said simply, swallowing hard from the dread that was clawing up the inside of her throat.

That seemed to be the right answer, as Hop turned on his heel to face her, smiling broadly.   
“Thanks, Glo. I’m ready when you are, so just say the word!” He said loudly, crossing his arms confidently. 

It within the first five minutes of the battle, Gloria had Hop already on the defensive. She had knocked out several of his pokemon, anticipating the order he would use after months of battling him. In robotic fashion, she countered his every choice with a super-effective match-up, making short work of the match. When it came down to his Rillaboom against her Cinderace, she found it too difficult to destroy him so completely. Cinderace flashed a puzzled expression at her when she told it to use Bulk Up for the third time in the fight, knowing full well it could have demolished its opponent without the extra help. In truth, Gloria was beginning to think of throwing the fight-- the thought of losing her best friend over winning was overwhelmingly not worth it. Even Hop had begun to notice, levelling her with a look of bemusement.   
“Hey, what? Afraid of me and my Rillaboom? You should be!” He taunted, grinning.  
Gloria smiled without it reaching her eyes. It was too late to lose on purpose now, he was down to his last pokemon and she still had all six. It would be painfully obvious, and she knew that winning on a lie over losing honestly would bother Hop more. With that in mind, she gave the command to her Cinderace. As soon as its flames licked at Rillaboom’s drums, it was over in a matter of seconds. The tightness in his posture and expression betrayed Hop’s frustration, who gazed hard at a nondescript point in the distance after it was all over. 

“Hop… listen, I’m sor--” Gloria began, stopping when Hop waved his hand dismissively at her. 

“Hey, mate, no. Stop. I don’t want to do that. You know I don’t want to do that.” Hop said quietly. “I just didn’t expect there to be such a big gap between you and me…” He said, watched her intently, his mouth not quite a smile.

It was a look that Gloria struggled to return, her thoughts clouded in guilt. All she wanted was for things to return to how they were, despite that there was no way to reform Hop’s shattered dream of becoming champion so long as she held the title. Gloria opened her mouth to say something to try and fix things, but couldn’t find the words. Spotting Sonia approaching in the distance, they both seemed relieved at the interruption.

“And if it isn’t the two of you again. I was wondering what all the noise was about.” Sonia called out from further down the path.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the views and kudos, hope you enjoy

Gloria was all too happy to obliterate Shielbert at his own challenge. It was a welcome distraction and seeing the smugness wiped from his face was incredibly satisfying. Their sudden intrusion was like something conjured from fairy tails, complete with their utterly bizarre appearances. Upon seeing Sordward’s hair flopping to-and-fro, Hop gave a short snort of laughter catching Gloria’s eye with a dimpled, subtle grin. Discreetly he lifted a hand to his head, angling it parallel like the feathers of a Cramorant. Sonia covered her mouth to hide her smile, and Gloria bit her lip hard to keep from laughing— and just like that, it felt again like nothing had ever changed between them. 

But things had changed, and Hop’s devastated expression upon losing the rusted sword echoed the rising insecurities he harboured. 

“Something on your mind boy? You weren’t concentrating at all during our battle!” Sordword guffawed to himself, all too glad for the opportunity to tear into someone for his own amusement. 

Heat tinted Hob’s cheeks in humiliation— he muttered apologies to Gloria that he had lost the match, clearly upset with himself. He made no attempt to defend himself against their jeers, his face falling in disappointment. This only served to entertain the brothers more, who took turns gloating their success. Rage flashed through Gloria, incensed at their put-downs. 

“Come off it, give the sword back and get lost!” She snapped uncharacteristically, surprising both Sonia and Hop. 

“Gloria!” Sonia exclaimed, startled by her sudden outburst. 

“My, my! What a temper, who knew the Champion was so brutish. Besides, if he was too weak to win should he really have it in the first place? He might hurt himself!” Shielbert said with mock concern, his snear self-satisfying.

“Precisely brother, only royalty have the true strength to handle such things. Anywho, we won’t be returning it, but we must indeed be going.” Sordword chimed in, pleased at the discord they had sewn.

As if on cue they announced loudly, “And with that, farewell!”, with such synchronicity that they surely had practised it several times before encountering the group in the first place. They scuttled away with remarkable speed, sharing honks of laughter between them as they went. Hop’s reaction was immediate, whirling around to chase them down. He called loudly for them to come back, frustration clear in his voice as he sprinted out of view.

“Hold on, Hop!” Sonia said exasperatedly, throwing up her hands in annoyance. Just as Gloria was about to say she was going to follow them, Sonia sighed about Hop’s recklessness. 

“Honestly, at least you’re calm Glo. For the most part…” She added slyly, something that Gloria decidedly chose not to comment on, her cheeks feeling hot. Sonia let it slide, raising a finger with a perfectly polished nail to her chin pensively.

“I’m surprised Hop lost, he did seem upset about something. Poor Hop… After all you were his rival Glo, and since you won the championship instead of him, he can’t achieve his goal anymore. I wonder how he’s feeling about it all…” Sonia said absent-mindedly, oblivious to the discomfort of Gloria.

“I… don’t know. Truthfully things have been difficult between us and… I don’t know how to fix it.” Gloria admitted, feeling so full of emotion that she no longer had the strength to pretend otherwise. The more she thought about it, the more she missed Hop dearly.

“Really? I’m sorry to hear that… wanna talk about it? Let’s head to the lab.” Sonia said, smiling sympathetically.


	3. Turrfield Gym

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, here is the next chapter!

Gloria watched the moving landscape around her, punctuated by the powerful flapping wings of her taxi Corviknight. She was on her way to Turrfield Stadium after Sonia had determined a high concentration of Galar particles, a hint to the location of the alleged ‘royalty brothers’. Sonia had also insisted on having tea as well, complete with a manicure from her new assistant who had a talent for nail painting. Talking about all her problems had been extremely therapeutic in the end, and Sonia was a great listener.

“Nope, don’t call him. Hey, eyes up here, no texting. Listen… this is not a You problem. This is a Hop problem.” Sonia advised, setting down a tray of biscuits and tea. “Listen, I think the best thing you can do right now is let Hop figure this out on his own. You coming in to save the day again for him is not going to help things… it’s obvious he’s trying to detangle himself from his brother’s shadow and now yours. I think he’s trying to find out who he is, and what he wants.” 

“What if he decides that he can’t be near me anymore?” Gloria had asked, her throat feeling tight.

“Oh Glo… you know that isn’t true. I don’t think Hop would ever leave you behind like that… it’s pretty obvious that he cares a lot about you.” Sonia said with a knowing smile. “Just give him some space and things will be okay.”

~~~

The Turrfield Stadium was in absolute chaos when Gloria arrived. The ground shook with the steps from the Dynamaxed pokemon within, its cries could be heard well outside the building. A crowd had formed around the structure, held back by the police who advised people to stay indoors until the situation was dealt with. As soon as they laid eyes on Gloria, many of them rushed to greet her as they once did for Leon, a few clambered for autographs.

“Oi, oi! You lot! Give the Champion some room eh? She’s workin’ here!” One of the officers barked at the group, herding them behind steel barriers. 

“Thanks,” Gloria said with relief. 

“No problems ‘ere Champ. You mind signing my cap? My young lad at home is mad for you.” The officer said with a wink, digging into his breast pocket for a pen. 

“Of course!’ She said cheerfully, feeling surprisingly uplifted by the crowd’s energy. Despite the initial bewilderment she had felt over not being able to go anywhere without people recognizing her, she had begun to understand why Leon liked the attention so much. After giving the officer her autograph, she stepped through the glass sliding doors of the stadium. Stood to wait was a very amused Milo and a less-so Piers. 

“Good to see you survived the mob.” Piers remarked dryly, crossing his arms.

“Hey there Champ! So you decided to come help out huh? Hopefully you didn’t get too caught up outside, everyone in Turrfield has been dying to see their new champ!” Milo said with an easy smile, managing to have even more freckles on his face since last time she saw him at the Finals. Gloria had always liked Milo— she recalled telling Hop once how cute she found him, much to Hop’s shock. 

“Yeah I suppose he’s an alright chap. Weakest of the lot though, even if he could probably beat all the gym leaders combined in an arm-wrestling contest. Seriously though? Milo?” He had said in disbelief. When she had teased him about how incredulous he was, he immediately grew defensive and muttered about how he, ‘just thought it was a strange choice out of ‘em, mate’. 

Gloria couldn’t help smiling widely at the memory despite her current company. Every time since then when he was mentioned Hop would always clam up like Milo was an unpleasant coworker of his that he had to speak respectfully about. 

“It’s been awhile Milo, Piers! It’s good to see you both. Need some help?” Gloria said.

“Yeah, we could actually. We were in the middle of a match when a Dynamax Pokemon burst in.” Milo said, fussing with his hat which had been knocked askew in the commotion.

The berserk crashing and cries only grew louder, sending tremors throughout the building. Through the glass doors leading into the arena, the sheer chaos wrought by the Pokemon had destroyed several of the elevated seating areas, the grass having gone wild with growth. Piers’ face grew dark and Milo shook his head, baffled. Gloria’s heart leapt in her chest when she spotted Hop coming through the doors of the arena, not having expected him.

“Everyone’s been evacuated from the stadium,” He huffed, short of breath from running. “You’ve heard, right? There’s even more Pokemon Dynamaxed at other gyms…”

“Much obliged Hop knew we could count on you! You’re a gym challenger after all.” Milo said brightly, sounding proud of him.

“I never made it past the Semi-finals though…” Hop said quietly, only then noticing Gloria standing awkwardly behind Milo and Piers.

“Hey Glo,” Hop said with a small smile. “I followed those guys here and then the whole thing with the Pokemon started and I couldn’t leave it alone, I had to help. Sorry, I lost ‘em in the rush.” He grumbled, running a hand through his hair, a nervous habit of his. 

Gloria sighed, wondering when he would stop blaming himself. “I don’t care about that Hop, I was-- we were worried about you. I know you can take care of yourself but…” She confessed, fidgeting with the strap of her backpack.

“You were? Really?” Hop asked, his eyes widening in surprise, breaking into a fresh smile. He seemed to remember himself when he caught sight of Milo’s sidelong grin at Piers, who was intent on looking anywhere but the two of them. “I, uh, sorry. I won’t do it again.” Hop assured, looking a bit embarrassed. 

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Piers commented sardonically. Milo chuckled loudly, unstrapping a Pokeball from the halter on his thigh. 

“We should go take care of that Pokemon before it does any more damage,” Milo said, coming to Hop’s rescue. “Let’s head to the pitch.”

“I’ll help out, I’m sore about being upstaged.” Piers said casually. “Leon’s bro, you come too. We could use your help.”

“I don’t know about that… If I come along I might just slow the rest of you down…” Hop said, maintaining a smile that his eyes betrayed.

“Hop…” Gloria began, her heart sinking painfully. It hurt to hear Hop talk about himself in such a way-- her eyes stung as the pricks of her guilt came rushing to the surface again. 

Piers cut her off before she could say anything more. “There’s four exits in that pitch… it’d be real bad if this thing gets out into the town. Would be good to have someone on each with solid, strong Pokemon.”

Hop seemed taken aback by this, momentarily speechless. It was a clever tactic; Hop could disparage himself, but he had the utmost faith in his Pokemon. 

“You coming?” Piers persisted, already walking into the stadium.

“Uh… yeah!” Hop called after, jogging to catch up.

Gloria swallowed hard and managed a smile, glad that somebody was able to get through to him. Taking a deep breath to try and calm herself, she caught Milo’s eye, who had been patiently observing her. 

“Y’know… Piers is great at taking care of others, he’s a big brother after all.” He hesitated for a minute before saying, “I know it’s not really my place, but I just wanna say that… things will be okay, even if they feel pretty bad right now. Even if the worst happens and you’re not friends anymore, that’ll be okay at some point. Maybe not now, or even in a month or a year… but someday, you just gotta have faith that everything will work out. And I’m always here if you wanna talk of course!” Milo said. He gave her a kind smile, patting her back reassuringly. It was strangely comforting, despite the thought of losing Hop as a friend frightened her. 

“Thank you, Milo.” Gloria managed a smile, feeling a bit lighter. 

“No problem, we should get going too. They’ll be wondering what happened to us, ha!” Milo said cheerily. Gloria laughed, eager to battle together as a team with her friends.

By the time they had joined them on the pitch, Piers and Hop already had begun their battle. Hop had taken the north exit, with Piers stationed at the west. Gloria ran to her post on the east side, and Milo remained where he was at the south exit. The colossal Tsareena agitatedly spun between Piers’ Obstagoon and Hop’s Rillaboom, pounding its feet threateningly. Gloria exchanged looks with Piers across the room from her, who held up his hands as if to ask, ‘What took you so long?’ 

Hop was intensely focused on the Tsareena, his mouth forming a hard line and his brow knitted tightly. Gloria summoned Arcanine, who was beyond excited to participate. It barked gleefully at Rillaboom-- they were inseparable in the times that Hop and Gloria had camped together, from even before they evolved. It had been a strange friendship considering how different they appeared; Hop had nicknamed Arcanine ‘Teddy’ after one particular night of snuggling between the two of them. It was to the point that come morning Gloria felt sorry to split them up and had considered the painful possibility of giving up Arcanine to Hop so they might stay together. Hop had refused, however, insisting that it just gave them a reason to camp together more often. 

Gloria gave a sharp whistle to Teddy to gain its attention, worried it might run down the pitch to join Rillaboom. Teddy stiffened and complied, concentrating on the Dynamaxed Tsareena. Milo’s Flapple flew around the head of the Tsareena, spitting acid from its cheeks while Obstagoon harassed it from below. At Hop’s command, Rillaboom let out an ear-splitting roar, pounding on its drum fervently. The sound was unbearable to the Tsareena, who seemed greatly weakened by the noise. 

“Alright Teddy, you know what to do!” Gloria called out. Teddy reacted immediately, parting its jaws to allow access to the flames that flared from its throat. An intense blast of fire jetted forward, engulfing the Tsareena which cried out pitifully. The battle ended quickly, the power of the Galar particles no longer able to sustain the size of the Tsareena. It soon collapsed, completely exhausted from its forcible transformation. Milo called back his Flapple, moving to help the Tsareena, who had become docile. Piers examined the area, no doubt looking for clues as to how the situation occurred.

Teddy let out a low whine, watching Rillaboom longingly. 

“Go on, then.” Gloria grinned, patting its back. 

Teddy didn’t waste a second, bounding forward to meet Rillaboom who threw its arms around them. Hop waved at her, his smile more authentic than she had seen in a while. He made loud kissing sounds at them jokingly, giving Teddy a scratch behind the ear. He was soon caught between the two Pokemon, laughing as Teddy and Rillaboom took turns nudging him for attention. Gloria desperately wanted to join them, but restrained herself, wanting to keep with Sonia’s advice. Instead, she joined Milo to help care for Tsareena, feeling left-out by her self-enforced exile.


	4. Hulbury Gym

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Blood mention. sorry for the wait, it's here now :) i'm looking for some feedback on my writing, so feel free to drop a comment or message me, i'd love to hear from you.

“You lot really helped me out here, thanks for that,” Milo said appreciatively.

“No matter how many times I see Dynamaxing, I still don’t like it. I also had a look around and that Tsareena definitely had no trainer.” Piers said, mystified. 

“Something was definitely off… This really is a mystery wrapped in an enigma.” Milo puzzled, scratching his head in thought. “Well, I better get going. Oh, and Gloria? If you ever need my help, feel free to call me anytime.” He said, smiling sincerely. 

Gloria wasn’t sure what to say-- she was flattered by the offer, no doubt in reference to what they had discussed earlier. “Thanks, Milo.” She said, feeling a bit shy. Milo’s kindness had always been something she had admired about him. After some short farewells, Milo led Tsareena off to the healing facilities.

“We need to find those guys, maybe we should split up,” Hop suggested suddenly. He wouldn’t meet Gloria’s gaze, shifting between his feet restlessly. 

“Well, well, well! If you were looking for us, why didn’t you just say so!” Sorword gloated theatrically from the snack bar. 

“Well, well, well! And the champion, as expected brother!” Shielbert parroted back, not to be outdone. 

Hop was the first to react, whirling on them. “I knew you’d be here! Give the rusted sword back, I’m warning you!” Hop said, his uneasiness spilling easily into anger.

“Even if it were yours we wouldn’t give it back,” Sordword said snidely, breaking into a new round of snickers with Shielbert. 

“What’s with these two? Get over here and battle me!” Hop exclaimed in frustration.

“Keep it together.” Piers said calmly. “Who are these guys?”

“Look at this ruffian, his strange hair with black and white style. Ridiculous!” Cried out Shielbert.

Piers eyes seemed to roll back into his skull with exasperation, clearly not the first time he had heard that particular insult. 

“You’re not in any position to be talking about strange hair, pal.” Piers fired back. The brothers were unconcerned by his comment, occupied whispering amongst themselves.

“But it seems our experiment was a success. A few more tests and Zacian and Zamazenta will be laid bare to the world!” Sordword said, conspiratorial. 

“What did you say about Zacian and Zamazenta?!” Hop yelled, lurching forward. His reaction had not disappointed the brothers, who tittered behind open hands. 

High-pitched beeping came from Gloria’s bag and Rotom flew out, its screen face having exploded with alerts. Her social media was awash with panicked messages for help in both Motostoke and Hulbury, with endless pictures and videos of Dynamaxed pokemon wreaking havoc at the stadiums.

“Ooh, it looks like the ball has already begun. If you want to stop us, best chase after our splendid-looking bottoms!” Shielbert jabbered pompously. 

“And with that, farewell!” The brothers crooned, making their escape through the emergency exit with the same astounding speed as before. 

A loud string of curse words came from Hop, who looked ready to fight the brothers Pokemon or otherwise. He strode forward threateningly, much to the horror of Gloria who clasped his arm before he could do anything rash. 

“Calm down, Hop, you don’t gotta act so hard. This could easily be a trap, it’s a bad idea to run in unprepared.” Piers called, crossing his arms. He pinched the bridge of his nose as if to soothe an oncoming headache. Hop didn’t look so sure, looking as if he was ready to give chase regardless. 

“Hop, we’re doing all we can. They want us to waste time chasing them instead of helping the gyms.” She pacified, anxiety knotting her insides. It was jarring to see Hop like this; there had only been one other time in all the years they had been friends that he had been so angry. Pink and purple sky etching the sinking sun, thick red blood that drained from Hop’s nose staining his shirt, her own aching ribs...

“But still!” Hop persisted weakly. He looked to Gloria for support and was disappointed when she shook her head.

“We should head to one of the stadiums.” Gloria soothed, rubbing her thumb along his arm. Hop hummed quietly in response, caught somewhere between frowning at being overruled and smiling sheepishly at her.

“Yeah… this is no time to be hung up on the Rusted Shield!” Hop said, suddenly filled with his usual boundless enthusiasm. “Glo, Piers, let’s help out!”

“I’ll catch up to you in a bit. I wanna have another look around.” Piers said, strolling away without a response.

“Uh, alright! I’ll text you where we’re headed!” Hop called after him, looking puzzled at the sudden detour. Gloria had the sneaking suspicion that Piers had a different motivation, as he had been pretty thorough before. He made eye contact with her, giving her a thumbs-up before departing. 

\----

Hop gave a heavy sigh, slipping his Rotom into his pocket in defeat. “Well, I guess we’re walking.”

No taxi would take them to Hulbury; a terrible storm had blown in, its winds and waves smashing against the coast. Black clouds churned in the distance, lightning skipping like stones between clouds. The air felt thick, heralding the coming rain.

“Doesn’t look good,” Hop said warily, running a hand through his hair as he watched the sky. “We’ll have to run for it.” 

“I’ve got a better idea,” Gloria announced with a smile, pulling out her Rotom phone. It hung in the air for a moment before transforming into a bike with a swirl of electricity. Hop’s mouth hung open in bewilderment, which quickly turned to envy. He fussed for several minutes over it, peppering her with questions on how she got one, the exact model that he had been wanting for ages. Only the loud crack of thunder from above reminded Hop of what they were there for. 

“Can I ride it? Please Glo?” He pleaded, flashing her a brilliant smile that made it impossible to say no. 

She nodded despite the nagging worry of crashing, which was all the confirmation Hop needed. Gloria put her feet on the pegs on the back wheel, placing her hands cautiously on Hop’s shoulders. 

“Alright, and here we go!” He declared standing on the pedals, using gravity to pump the wheels as fast as possible. Gloria very nearly lost her balance, giving a sharp yelp and throwing her arms around Hop instinctively. She could feel his laugh rumble through his chest, the back of his jean jacket rough on her cheek. 

They sped along Route 5, passing the grassy opening where the Pokemon Nursery was situated. Many of the trainers that usually hung around were nowhere to be found, likely having gone for shelter in Turrfield. The smell in the air was warm and earthy, the trees shifting restlessly as the wind picked up the closer they came to Hulbury. The stoney bridge came soon enough, Hammerlocke revealing itself in the distance past the whipping sands of the Dust Bowl. 

The gales whistled through the leaves, resisting their approach— Hop huffed with the exertion of it, sweat beading on his forehead. Gloria offered to take over, to which Hop responded with vigorous shaking of his head, far too stubborn to quit. It wasn’t long after that the sky tore open, water pummeling them, taking seconds to drench them completely. They took cover under the rail bridge outside of Hulbury, Hop leaning against the brick wall to catch his breath. 

“Phew… not too much further.” He said, smiling. 

“Yup.” Gloria agreed, suddenly feeling awkward. She urged herself to talk to him-- about her becoming champion, about how he was feeling, anything at all. Instead all she managed was to stare at him hopelessly, willing the words to manifest. Hop’s hair stuck to his forehead, drops of water clinging to his skin and his long dark eyelashes. Something warm bubbled to the surface instead, her heart aching painfully. When had he become so handsome? She tried to recall through their years of friendship but struggled to pinpoint when she had begun to feel this way. As best she could she pushed the feelings down, for fear of ruining their friendship more than she already had. 

He caught her gaze and grinned, rubbing his face with his sleeve. 

“I’m ready when you are, mate.” 

\-----

Hulbury was in a state of disarray when they got there, the boats in the harbour heaving under the swells of the ocean. The market stalls groaned under the force of the wind, shingles from nearby houses flipped through the air to be washed out to sea. Several trees had snapped and splintered under its force, blocking off sections of the road. The beacon of the lighthouse whirled in the distance, salt mist coating their faces from the spray of the ocean. Left no choice but to go on foot, Hop and Gloria rushed to the Stadium, stopping short when the bellows of a Dynamaxed Pokemon shook the air, followed by such a blow to the cliffs that the entire city rocked with its force. 

They spotted Nessa and Piers facing off against an enormous Gyarados that had stormed the shore. Hop shot a panicked look at Gloria, yelling something to her that was lost in the roar of the crashing waves. He sped off down the cliffs despite Gloria’s calls, frustration welling inside her at his sudden break. Piers spotted her, motioning wildly for her to come join them. Feeling torn, she bit back her urge to pursue Hop and instead ran to aid them. 

Piers leaned down to her, yelling, “What is he doing?” 

Gloria shrugged, walling up her emotions by concentrating herself on the battle. He rolled his eyes, looking too tired to ask any more questions. 

“Glad you could come, Champ! Things are pretty dangerous here!” Nessa called, though the excitement in her voice betrayed her. In truth, Nessa had always loved the stories of sailors against great sea monsters, an event that was not entirely different from what they faced now. Her Drednaw snapped its jaws in anticipation, sensing her eagerness. 

The battle was fierce, even with Gloria’s Toxtricity; Gyarados was a difficult opponent at the best of times, let alone when it was at a colossal level. It was all they could do to instruct their Pokemon to hold it at bay to protect the town from any more damage. When one of their Pokemon geared up for an attack, Gyarados would duck beneath the waves, wasting their efforts. 

“This is useless, we need some other strategy.” Piers said harshly as the situation became more dire. 

“We could try drawing it out and then attacking all at once,” Nessa suggested, biting her bottom lip. “One of us would have to be bait though.” 

“I’m the oldest, it should be me.” Piers said immediately, passing his Malamar’s Pokeball to Gloria so that it could continue the fight. 

“I’m the Champion.” Gloria retorted, holding it back to him.

“Not a chance. It’s my time to shine, Champion.” Piers said definitively, striding to the far end of the cliff. Gloria nearly laughed when he produced a microphone and speaker from his bag, always ready for an audience. With a measured hand, Piers held the microphone to the speaker, a loud screech ringing out from the feedback. A geyser blew high into the air as Gyarados resurfaced in a rage, steam rising from its writhing body.

“Now!” Nessa cried, and all three Pokemon struck it with all their might. Gyarados thrashed wildly in response, harmed but not beaten-- it turned on Nessa and Gloria, ignoring Piers’ shouts to get its attention. Energy gathered in its maw, flashing forwards with deadly accuracy. It sent Toxtricity flying, leaving it exhausted and unable to fight. Gloria recalled it anxiously, noting that Nessa and Piers’ Pokemon weren’t much better. 

Rillaboom’s feet pounded the ground as it ran to join them, the leaves on its body as sharp as knives, lips parted back to reveal deadly fangs. They were suddenly awash in bright light, a beam focusing on the Gyarados. The lighthouse beacon was trained on its eyes, blinding it before it could make another move. Rillaboom didn’t hesitate at the opportunity, the vibrations from its drum sapping the Gyarados’ strength. It let out one final cry, before collapsing onto the shore, shrinking rapidly to its true form. 

Gloria took a deep breath, fatigue settling into her bones. Nessa hurried to aid the fallen Pokemon, waving to the lighthouse her thanks. Gloria could see Hop waving back from the top of the tower, stirring conflict within her. She was happy for Hop, he deserved to be recognized for his actions— but a nagging bitterness dogged her. He couldn’t help acting recklessly, even after promising her. Gloria felt foolish to be upset over such a small matter, particularly as it lead to their win; but it felt like salt in a still-fresh wound.

Nessa and Hop chatted lively on the beach, nursing the Gyarados back to health. The pride in his smile made the guilt she had buried threaten to rise to the surface once more. Before she could spiral into thoughts of self-reproach about stealing Hop's dream, the weight of a hand on her shoulder interrupted the thoughts. Piers stood next to her, watching the now mollified storm in the distance. 

"I've got some new songs I'm tryin' out. Wanna listen?" He asked dryly, holding up his microphone. 

Gloria nodded, smiling gratefully.


End file.
